by Jill Sanders
Less than half an hour later, she walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a large towel and found a small cart with silver plates sitting in the middle of the room with the most wonderful smells coming from it. She lifted a lid and saw a large square of pasta covered with some kind of breading. Dipping her finger in it, she tasted and closed her eyes to the richness.
She heard a noise and opened her eyes to see Jason staring at her again.
“What?”
“What? What?”
“Are we really going to keep doing this?” She set the lid back down, keeping the food warm.
Then he smiled quickly and said, “They didn’t have strawberries and cream.” He shook his head in disappointment and walked into the bathroom without another word, as she blushed to the roots of her hair.
Quickly getting dressed in her light shorts and t-shirt, Katie sat back down in front of the television to watch the news as she ate her dinner.
Less than ten minutes later, Jason walked back into the room. He was dripping wet with a dark pair of boxers on and was using the towel to dry his hair. She’d seen him like this a million times; after all, they’d been roommates once. He hadn’t made a point of walking around in boxers in front of her, but she’d always found an excuse to be in his room when he’d come out of the shower. But seeing him like this after what they had done was different.
His sandy hair was pushed back away from his face, the water making it look darker than it was. He hadn’t shaved, so he had a full day’s growth going, which only gave him a more dangerous look. She’d always admired his muscles. He had taken years of Judo and she loved the way they rippled down his stomach. He didn’t have much hair on his chest and she found that very sexy. She wondered if he would be as smooth and hard as he looked. Last night he hadn’t even removed his shirt. His boxers hung low on his narrow hips and she could see the sexy V his hips made, pointing to the one place on him she’d never dared imagine on him.
“What?” he asked, and her eyes jumped back to his face.
“What? What?” she asked, then was shocked to realize the game they were playing, and it dawned on her what he’d probably been thinking about her. She blushed right down to her toes. He’d been looking at her earlier the way she was looking at him just now.
The room was quiet as they looked at each other. What could she say? Should she say anything? She was no good at sex games. She’d never… well … never.
Then his phone rang, breaking the spell. He walked across the room, tossing the wet towel on the chair, something he knew drove Katie nuts. Before he could answer the phone, she was across the room, grabbing the towel before the water could soak into the chair’s material, ruining it.
He watched her with a wicked smile, “Hello?”
She glared at him as she started to fold the wet towel, so she could hang it.
“What?” He almost dropped the phone. “No! She’s here. No, I swear. Yeah, okay. No, I don’t think that would be wise. Yeah, you do that. Bye.”
“What?” she asked looking at his face.
“Well, it appears you’ve been kidnapped and a ransom of ten million dollars has been demanded from your family.”
Chapter Six
“What!” she grabbed for his phone just as it rang again.
He handed it to her willingly, then walked over to where his food sat.
“Hello?”
“Katie! Thank God!” Her father’s familiar voice sounded distant. Hearing him for the first time in over a year did something to her. She realized what kind of pain he must have gone through, what he must be going through now.
“Dad?” She walked to the window, trying to control her emotions. There was a buzzing in the back ground and she hoped the reception would be better by the window. “Dad, can you hear me?”
“Yes, honey. I’m so glad to hear that you’re okay. We’re on our way there. Our flight lands in less than two hours. Where are you?”
“We’re just outside of Ioannina; we missed the flight to Italy.” She didn’t think that worrying her father with all the small details would gain her or him anything. She noticed that Jason’s eye brows shot up at her small omission.
“What’s all this about me being kidnapped?”
“Probably just someone’s sick joke. Ric and I will land soon. Honey, get to Rome as quickly as you can, and please be careful.” She heard her dad say something, most likely to her brother, than he was back, “Ric says to stay there, we’re going to try to come to you.”
“No, Dad,” she said, knowing it wasn’t safe where they were, that the men were looking for them. Jason had told her it was only another few hours to Igoumenitsa, and from there they could grab the ferry to Italy. They had plans to head out first thing in the morning. “We’ll meet you in Rome in…”
She looked over at Jason, and he said, “Around three days, just to be safe.”
“We’ll meet you in Rome in three days. I’ll give you a call then.”
“Okay, just stay safe and try to stay in contact, okay?”
“Sure, Dad. Give Ric my love.” She closed the phone and started pacing the floor.
Now she was feeling guilty. She hadn’t even called her father once in the last year. She’d missed Christmas, his birthday, father’s day, her birthday. What kind of daughter had she been over the last year?
She had called and left a message for her brother Ric once, just after she’d arrived in Europe. It was on the day he’d married Roberta Stanton. Roberta had been the police officer assigned to help her brother find out who had murdered his assistant and stolen a bunch of artwork from his art galleries. She felt bad that she hadn’t attended their wedding, but she had known her mother would be there and she couldn’t handle seeing her.
She had apologized in the message for not being there for them, but explained how she’d needed more time to work things out. She loved her brother. Knowing he was the only one who would stand by her had made her want to distance herself from him even more. Finding out that he was her half-brother didn’t change the way she felt about him.
She’d cried that night after leaving the message for him. She knew that her brother had found happiness with Roberta and was very happy for them both. But then the sadness had consumed her, and she found herself sinking into the darkness of her mind again. So the next morning she’d moved on to a new destination on her trip. Exploring and meeting the locals was keeping her mind from her family troubles.
Jason watched her pace the floor from his chair, his dinner left untouched, and he could tell she was working herself into a mental state, blaming herself for everything, no doubt. The television was still on the international news channel, but the volume was off. He watched as a picture of Katie flashed across the screen, so he walked over and turned up the volume.
“…Katie Derby, daughter of socialite Kathleen Derby and oil tycoon Rodrick Derby the Third, and biological daughter of Damiano Cardone, head of Europe’s mega business, New Edges. Miss Derby was last spotted in Alimos, just south of Athens, wearing a light green windbreaker and dark jeans, and carrying a black backpack. Miss Derby made headlines last year when it became known about her mother’s…”
Katie walked up and flipped off the television, “I won’t do this again.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, chewing her bottom lip. He knew she only did that when she was really stressed out. Walking over to her, he nudged her so that her back faced him and he started rubbing the stress from her shoulders. He knew her weak spots, he knew her ticklish spots, he knew everything about her. After all, they’d been best friends forever and he knew every detail about her. Just as she knew everything about him.
Looking at the back of her head, he remembered a scene from a few years ago. They had just moved into the tiny two bedroom place together, and he’d been dating Kimberly at the time. Katie had gone out a few times with his friend Tom, a relationship he didn’t condone.
Tom was a lot like Jason, but Tom had a cocky attitude
that Jason had never had. Tom thought he was good looking, he thought that all the girls liked him, and it showed.
Jason only put up with his friend going out with Katie because he knew Katie didn’t have much dating experience. He just wanted her to get out there, but after their fourth date, Jason sat her down and had the talk. He could tell that Tom was getting bored; he liked the faster girls. And Katie, well, he knew she was just tolerating him.
“Katie, Tom just isn’t right for you.” He sat across their small living room and gave her that look, the one that says, ‘I’m trying to break it to you gently.’
“Oh, I know that.” She’d tucked her feet up under her on the couch. They had just settled down after their double dates and Kimberly was waiting for him in the next room. He didn’t like her sleeping over, but she was determined and he tolerated it.
“Jason, I’m not falling for him.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve just been having fun.” She moved to turn on the television set, no doubt to sit back and watch an old TV show.
“Besides, I met this totally cute guy in my Physics class yesterday.” Katie gave Jason a look of excitement.
He knew she was lying then, he could see it in her eyes. She had been having fun with Tom, but there had been something else she wasn’t telling him, something he still didn’t know about to this day. A few days after that, Tom broke it off with Katie and she had acted almost relieved. It had made him question whether there was someone else she was attracted to.
Looking at the back of her head, he could tell that was the case now, that she was keeping something from him. “Kat,” he said to her back.
“Don’t, I’m not in the mood to hear the speech right now.” She rolled her shoulders, something she’d always done, but this time, he couldn’t help focusing on how soft her skin looked on her neck.
He could feel the tension radiating from her. Knowing a simple back rub wouldn’t take her mind off her family, he dipped his head and ran his lips along her soft skin. She froze. He pushed her hair to the side as he continued to run his mouth up and down her delicate neck, tasting her, enjoying the feel of her vibrating in his hands.
“Jason?” it was a whisper.
“Just relax, you smell and taste so good.”
“Oh, my…”
He ran his hands down her arms, then when he’d enjoyed every inch of her neck, she turned to face him, and she just looked at him.
Her hands came up to his hair and pulled him down to her mouth. He could feel her fingers flex and relax while holding him close.
“God, Katie.” He ran his hands downwards and then started back up under her light shirt, playing with the soft skin just underneath as she ran her hands over him lightly.
He pulled her closer so he could feel her every breath, and to his delight, she rolled her head back, exposing her long neck.
He felt her breathing as his fingers lightly played over her ribs, upward, until finally, he cupped her and moaned at the sheer pleasure he found. Toying with the tight bud, he circled it slowly until she moaned in return. Taking his time, he slowly reached over and did the same to her other nipple. Then he bent his head and lifted her shirt as he ran his tongue slowly over her, following the same pattern.
She leaned farther back, her hands behind her, supporting her weight. Jason rolled them onto the bed without removing his mouth from her heated skin. Now she was sprawled out for his pleasure. He’d quickly removed her shirt and tossed it on the floor. Looking down at her, he watched as her eyes fluttered opened.
“Jason?”
“Shh, you’re beautiful. So beautiful. I’d never imagined.” He dipped his head and licked his way around her soft skin. Her hands went back to his hair, holding him to her as she moaned in pleasure. She was very vocal, and he was enjoying hearing the sexy little sounds emanating from her. Running his hands slowly up and down her soft legs, he pushed them open a little wider as his fingers brushed over the tender spot just below her soft cotton shorts. He felt her tense and slowly moved his hand away until he felt her relax again.
Then he ran his fingers under the top of the shorts, pulling them down as he kissed the newly exposed skin. Looking up to gauge her reaction, he saw her eyes, watching him. The dimples on either side of her smile flashed and he saw her dark eyes close slowly on a moan. Taking the hint, he pulled her shorts down, exposing her to his view for the first time in full light.
“Beautiful.” He kissed her flat stomach, running his fingers across her belly, until he finally cupped her softly. Her back arched off the bed and her hands gripped his head as he bent to taste her just there.
He slid one finger in, enjoying the gasps and moans as she moved her hips to the motion. He found the noises she was making totally exotic. He knew she was tight so he stretched her, placing two fingers inside her slick heat, slowly circling and toying until he could tell she was building and ready to explode. Looking up, he watched her and knew he’d never forget the look of Katie during a peak.
Katie watched as he relaxed beside her and knew she had no plans for tonight to follow the same pattern as last night. Rolling onto her side, she slid her leg over his, running her hands over his bare chest. She watched as his eyes heated.
“Katie?”
“Shhh.” She put her fingers over his mouth, then ran her lips and tongue over his chest, enjoying rolling her tongue over his flat nipples until they peaked, much like hers had. She nibbled on them with her teeth and his hands went into her hair, trying to hold her still. She moved lower down his stomach, enjoying the play of muscles that ran down across each rib and over his muscular stomach. She loved his sexy six pack and couldn’t stop playing her fingers over the dips.
When she came across a new scar on his left rib, she looked up at him.
“Where did you get this?” She traced the line with her finger.
“Hmm, I got nipped by a bull when you decided you wanted to take part in the running of the bulls in Spain.”
“You were there for the festival?” She smiled, remembering the thrill she’d had climbing the fence, getting away from the bulls, not to mention the week long party she’d enjoyed. Oh, she’d never been in any real danger, but watching the bulls and people run by had been a thrill.
“Yes, I got caught in the crowd and ended up in front of a very big, brown bull.” He ran his hands through her hair.
She traced the line of his scar, happy to know that he’d somehow been a part of her reckless behavior. Then she ran her tongue over the line and he moaned, and she moved lower, past his belly button. He held onto her head until she used her teeth to pull his boxers down his narrow hips, then he fisted his hands beside him on the bed. She looked at him and noticed he was watching her with his clouded, dark blue eyes.
Using her hands, she pushed his shorts lower over his sexy hips until finally she saw all of him. He was bigger than she imagined and she was starting to have second thoughts. But she never backed away from a challenge, and she saw him as just that.
Running her hand over the length of him, she noticed that he was holding his breath and watching her very closely. She ran her fingers up and down him lightly, and he almost jumped in her hands.
Smiling, she leaned over and placed a soft kiss on the head, then using her tongue, she rolled her mouth around the tip until she felt him go stiff. She licked the entire length from bottom to top and then took him into her mouth, deep into her throat, until she felt his hands in her hair again. He tasted sexy and she couldn’t get enough of enjoying him.
Rolling her tongue around as she took him deep, she enjoyed the feel and taste of him as she pleased him. He moaned her name and she heard him begging her.
“My God, Katie, I’m going to come in your mouth if you keep that up.” His hands were in her hair.
She looked up into his eyes, “You promise?” Then she went back to torturing him until she felt his hot seed flood her mouth, and the tangy taste of him almost undid her. She lightly licked every inch of him clean.
Then she moved up the bed and whispered, “Now we’re even.”
He chuckled.“No, not even close,” he said and he pulled her co him.
“Jason?”
“Shh, Katie, I know what you want. Just let me hold you now.” He put his face into her hair and she could have sworn he started snoring.
It had always been this way with him. Not them laying naked together, but he’d always been able to fall asleep quickly.